While I'm extremely grateful for my Merit Scholarship of 5k, I'm still a far cry away from 232k+ I need to pay for school (TJSL School Budget). To cut back on additional expenses, we've downsized to a one vehicle family household and started renting out rooms in our house. We've also completely eliminated the word "fun" from our vocabulary. A small, but notable sacrifice. I am literally selling body parts for education...does that put me in the same category as a prostitute? I'll let you be the judge! You can also simply donate to my GoFundMe campaign if you feel compelled to open your hearts (as well as your wallets) and don't wish to see me covered in advertisement graffiti. Every bit counts, so even if you can only give a dollar, I'm still one dollar closer than I was yesterday to paying off the biggest debt I'll accrue over my lifetime. At this point, I'm trapped in a never-ending, spiraling abyss of debt. Which also means I risk the potential possibility of being dropped from my degree program before I even finish!
I've continued working a full-time and part-time job to save toward my academic endeavors, but I'm afraid it still isn't enough. Not to mention, I've also applied to every scholarship known to man. It goes without saying, I obviously do not come from a privileged background. A single mother raised me, and while she would love to help me and my partner during our time of great need, she simply does not have the financial means necessary to do so. I am the first in my family to graduate from college, POST (police academy), and now the first to ever go to law school as of fall 2016. I am constantly reminded of where I come from and how much farther I have to go: After living out of my car my junior semester of college while continuing to work a full-time job, I've done volunteer work for other displaced Nashville residents (e.g., writing résumés, developing job/interviewing skills, and job placement). My brief time as student teacher taught me that a lot of students needed just as much help oftentimes, if not more, at home or family court as they did at school.
As an attorney, I plan on continuing to advocate for impoverished people and education. However, I need the love, support, and kindness of strangers to help me achieve this goal. As the proverb goes, "It takes a village to raise a child, but life has also taught me that sometimes the villagers need help too". Please help me to become a positive romodel for children and other villagers in the struggle! Feel free to email me amulllins.stradivarius@gmail.com if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or words of encouragement.
I've continued working a full-time and part-time job to save toward my academic endeavors, but I'm afraid it still isn't enough. Not to mention, I've also applied to every scholarship known to man. It goes without saying, I obviously do not come from a privileged background. A single mother raised me, and while she would love to help me and my partner during our time of great need, she simply does not have the financial means necessary to do so. I am the first in my family to graduate from college, POST (police academy), and now the first to ever go to law school as of fall 2016. I am constantly reminded of where I come from and how much farther I have to go: After living out of my car my junior semester of college while continuing to work a full-time job, I've done volunteer work for other displaced Nashville residents (e.g., writing résumés, developing job/interviewing skills, and job placement). My brief time as student teacher taught me that a lot of students needed just as much help oftentimes, if not more, at home or family court as they did at school.
